


Take Only What You Need

by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Sick Character, Sick Shiro (Voltron), by request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 03:36:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8828812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticReactions/pseuds/BossToaster
Summary: By now, the team knows that if it's anything less than debilitating, Shiro won't admit to being sick.But they help anyway.(For ButteredOnions, based on the sick fic types list, specifically "With Kid Gloves On")





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buttered_onions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttered_onions/gifts).



“...Shiro?  Hey, Shiro.”

Brow furrowing, Shiro cracked his eyes open.  It took serious effort, not only because of how tired he was, but because the lids had gummed up.  He glanced up and blinked at Hunk, then hummed to show he was aware and listening.  Also, it hid the rough sound of his voice, but no one needed to know that little detail.

From the flicker of Hunk’s expression, he wasn’t fooled.  But he didn’t bring it up, which was good enough.

Setting down a tray in front of him, Hunk offered a smile.  “Seems like everyone got wrapped up in projects today, so it’s kinda serve yourself.  I told everyone else, but you didn’t reply on your comm, so I figured I’d let you know.”

Rubbing his eyes again, Shiro nodded.  “Thanks.”  It was rare that they skipped out on meals as a group, but not unheard of, so he didn’t think twice until he peered down at the tray without much appetite.

It was soup.  Hell, it looked like chicken noodle soup.

Expression bland, Shiro arched a brow at Hunk.

But either Hunk honestly didn’t get the connection, or he’d learned a better poker face, because he just shrugged.  “Hey, soups are easy and it’s a busy day.  I could just throw it all in and let it sit while I helped Pidge test a program.”

Shiro eyed him for a moment, making sure it wasn’t some kind of special consideration, given Shiro’s extremely mild and not at all serious case of the sniffles. In response, Hunk tilted his head, like he wanted to know what the problem was.

Fine.  Good.  That was acceptable.

“Thank you,” he repeated, a little stronger this time.  “You really don’t have to cook when you’re that busy, though.”

Hunk snorted.  “You want to get between me and my coping strategies?  Because I’ll fight you.  I’m not being stressed, working on all this stuff, and eating the space goo.  I’d go crazy.  Now, try it?  It tastes decent to me, but I might be tasting my expectations more than the actual soup.”

That, Shiro understood.  So he nodded, bit back a yawn, then pulled over the tray.  Taking a sip, he perked and shot Hunk a smile.  “I don’t know how you do it.  It’s a little different, but it’s really close to the kind with the stars.”

Hunk’s beaming smile dropped.  “From a can?”

Uh oh.  “I like that kind?”

Sighing, Hunk scrubbed over his face.  “Well, at least you like it.”  Then he gave Shiro a dry look.  “Not that it says much about my skill level.”

All Shiro could do was shrug and take another sip.  He was a man of microwavable taste.

“Well, have as much as you want,” Hunk sighed.  “Help me hide my shame.  For now, Pidge is waiting.  And you might want to comm Allura.  She was looking for you.”

Shiro nodded.  “Thanks again, Hunk.  I really do think it’s good.”

“I know,” Hunk replied, sounding pained.  “I wish you were being polite, but I know.  I’ll see you later.”  Shaking his head again, Hunk made his escape.

Shiro watched him go, then drained the rest of the broth in one go.  That done, he put the bowl down and fumbled for the closest console.  He wasn’t sure why the comms hadn’t reached him, except that maybe Shiro’s drowse had been slightly deeper than he’d thought.

After a few taps, Allura spoke.  “Yes?”

“It’s Shiro.  Hunk said you wanted to speak with me, Princess?”

“Ah, yes.”  Was she out of breath?  Huh.  “I’ve taken Keith and Lance aside for the afternoon for some one-on-one training.”

Wait, what?  “I see,” Shiro replied, mostly talking to buy time while he tried to think of a possible reason for that.  “Was there anything in particular they needed work on.”

There was a grunt, then a sound like a crash.  “Diplomacy,” Allura replied, tone dark.

“An argument got out of hand?”

“There was soup all over the control room.”

Oh boy.  Maybe Shiro should have been there to curtail the fight before it escalated that badly, but mostly he was glad he’d missed it.  He already had a headache.  “I see.  Well, then.  Have them tell you what gym suicides are.”

“Shiro!” Lance yelped.  Oh, had he been on speaker?  Ah well.

Unable to resist, Shiro gave a small smile.  “I’ll ask you later what they told you.  And if some details got fudged, I have plans.”

His response was about five seconds of firing noises, and then a sound like someone hitting the ground.  “I’ll be sure to do that,” Allura replied, voice sunny.  “I’m afraid it does take up your training time this afternoon with them, but I believe Pidge and Hunk had their own project.”

“Hunk said as much,” Shiro replied.  “I’m sure we can give up one day for such a good cause.”

Keith groaned.  “I’m going to remember this, Shiro.”

“As you should,” Allura shot back primly.  “In fact, I guarantee you’ll remember this lesson for years to come.  Have a good afternoon, Shiro.”

“Bye, everyone,” Shiro replied, just a touch sing-song.  The comm cut off before Lance could finish his vehement curse.

It wasn’t until he settled back down that Shiro realized he’d basically just been talked into taking the afternoon off.  And eating soup.

Goddammit.

***

Within an hour, Shiro was already threatening to drop off again.  The information they had on Galra trade routes, while potentially useful, just wasn’t engaging enough to keep him awake when his eyes were so dry and scratchy and his muscles ached.

Shiro put down the pad and grabbed his discarded bowl, taking it to the kitchen to be cleaned.  Then, rather than try again or suffer a nap, he started to walk.

First, Shiro made a beeline for the training room.  He was more likely to be useful there than with Pidge and Hunk during one of their projects.  But the distinct sound of squeaking sneakers and boots convinced him that his presence would be welcome by at least two people inside.

Turning on his heel, Shiro made his way to Pidge and Hunk’s shared lab instead.  Sticking his head inside, he found them both pouring over a monitor.  He knocked to announce his presence, and then both jumped and glanced up. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

Pidge shook her head.  “No, you’re fine.  Something up?”

Smiling dryly, Shiro gave a small shrug.  “Not really.  Just checking in.”  Under their combined curious looks, he sighed.  “I was bored and what I was reading didn’t keep my attention.”

“Ah,” Hunk replied, sounding amused.  “You know, you could do something actually fun, like listen to music or read a novel.  Just a suggestion.”

Shiro just gave him a dry look.  “We have enough to do without me goofing off for an afternoon.  But if you could use a hand...”

The pair of them shared a long look, the meaning of their head tilts and raised brows completely lost on Shiro.  But it was better than watching the silent conversations that they had with Lance, which involved so many hand gestures that Shiro had no idea how they all kept track.  

“Actually, yeah,” Pidge replied slowly.  “We were going through some more of the data from the Galra consoles we’ve tapped into.  But there’s only so much the computer can automatically sift through.  There are some audio files we haven’t gotten through, because sitting and listening to them takes forever.  We tried while we worked on other stuff, but you know, eventually you just tune it out and you missed the whole thing.”

Sounded boring, but it also sounded better than trade routes.  At least it would be something to listen to.  Stepping into the lab proper, Shiro nodded.  “I can handle that.”

“Great!”  Hunk dug through a drawer and came out with a pair of headphones.  “You can even take it to another part of the castle, if you want.  We can load it onto something else to play.”

Shiro shrugged.  “I’m fine here, if you don’t mind me haunting your lab.”

Waving him off, Pidge snorted.  “Fine with us.  But we’re about to work on some building, so it’ll get warm in here.”

“I’ll live,” Shiro replied blandly.  If anything, the noise would probably good to help keep him awake.

Once the files were pulled up and he found the adapter to make the headphones work with the Altean computers, Shiro settled into a seat and started up the file.  It sounded like quiet humming, and he slowly realized he was listening to Galran music.  Huh.  “Am I listening for something in particular?”

“Any chatter, I suppose,” Pidge replied with a shrug.  “We’re not sure why it was in the console in the first place.”

Well, the Galra were certainly paranoid enough with their data to hide it in something that sounded frivolous.  And while there was probably a market for music for the Galra, Shiro didn’t remember hearing so much as a note his whole year, so it seemed like an odd thing for them to have.  Shooting them a thumbs up, Shiro settled back to listen, the time stamp up to make notes if needed.

Mostly, though, he let the sounds wash over him as he tried not to watch Pidge and Hunk work too obviously.  While they might not mind his presence, it was still often annoying to have someone staring while you worked, especially a C.O.  Eventually, when his eyes kept stubbornly drifting over for lack of anything else to watch, Shiro’s just shut his eyes and listened.

It really was getting warm in the lab, but it wasn’t in a sweltering way.  Or maybe it was just Shiro, since he hadn’t noticed them pulling out any welding equipment.  But it wasn’t a bad heat.  More like lying out in sunshine and letting it wash over him.  

The music hadn’t changed, still going up and down, never very loud.  Shiro tried to find a pattern in it, but if there was some kind of code to the melody, it escaped him.  If anything it sounded like...

Kind of like a lullaby.

But that was such a strange thing for someone to have on a Galra ship, so Shiro rested his heavy head on his hand and listened harder to the slow notes, the gentle tone, the soft sound of the singer’s voice.  There had to be something there, and he’d find it if he just...

If he just listened, and...

Then he’d...

He’d...

***

It took about twenty minutes for Shiro to start to snore, which was the sign of him being well and truly out.

Hunk sat back and stopped pretending to work on their latest project.  “What’d you put on?”

“I found an Altean lullaby album a few weeks ago,” Pidge replied, pillowing her head on her arms as she watched Shiro sleep.  “It’s all humming, so I didn’t think he’d notice the difference.”

Nodding appreciatively, Hunk pulled off his goggles and dimmed the lights.  Shiro didn’t even stir.  “Nice.”

“Thanks.”

Really, Hunk mused, this would all be so much easier if Shiro would just take an afternoon off, at least when they could afford to.  It was one thing to power through a mission, when lives were on the line, but another to keep being stubborn when they were just training.

But Hunk also understood why he’d be reluctant to do that.  Shiro seemed to catch just about every minor bug they ran into on a planet.  Which made a terrifying amount of sense, considering how malnourished and stressed he’d no doubt been for a year.  Then he’d escaped and became the Black Paladin, with all the stress that entailed.  His immune system, already rocky from being outside of terrestrial viruses, was probably shot.  Hunk doubted Shiro wanted to face that, much less fess up to it to the rest of them.

So instead, they’d have his back.  And they’d gotten good at it.

“Want to work on Rover 2.0?” Hunk offered.  “That should be pretty quiet.”

Pidge nodded and pushed herself up.  “Yeah, I’ll pull up the specs.”  She cast one last glance at Shiro, then smiled and went to work.

So maybe it wasn’t just about keeping Shiro healthy.  For someone like Pidge, who couldn’t look after her brother and father the way she wanted to, Shiro was the next best thing.

And even besides that, they all cared.  Hunk certainly didn’t need to have family lost in space to enjoy getting Shiro to lower his guard and take a nap.  They just needed to care.

Putting up with a few minutes of bullshitting and an afternoon of Shiro’s snores was a small price to pay.

 


End file.
